LA City Councilwoman Janice Hahn with laid off workers from the Tesoro refinery
Workers and family members who are fighting to save good jobs at the Tesoro Refinery in Wilmington, CA gathered at Banning Park on August 8th to have a good time – and celebrate their unity and determination to win.
Two dozen ILWU members belonging to Local 13’s Allied Division lost their jobs in May when refinery officials replaced a union contractor with a non-union outfit from Utah. Workers have been fighting back with a “good jobs” campaign that’s winning support from community leaders, elected officials, and other unions, including the Steelworkers that represents other Tesoro workers. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, representing 800,000 southland workers is also involved.
“The Tesoro workers are volunteering on all of the different campaign committees that we formed to win this fight,” explained Local 13 Vice President Bobby Olvera, Jr., who helps coordinate volunteers with the Good Jobs at Tesoro campaign committee each week.
Volunteers are getting critical support came from their ILWU brothers and sisters at Local 13 who have stepped forward with a $10,000 monthly contribution that’s helping families survive the hardship of being displaced by an anti-union employer. Olvera expects other ILWU locals will come forward, just as they did to help the families in Boron with monthly donations. A food pantry has been established that provides groceries each week to families in need.
In August, Local 13 joined forces with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, to establish a special fund that will provide assistance for displaced families and make it possible to collect tax-deductible contributions.Send checks made out to “ILWU Local 13 Displacement Fund” and mail to: L.A. County Federation of Labor, Attn: Jose Alaniz, 2130 W. James Wood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006.
The work of removing coke deposits inside giant pressure vessels at the Tesoro refinery is a critical job, but the work is extremely dangerous and requires skilled employees who understand their rights and know how to work safely. Non-union contractors that take shortcuts in the high-pressure, high-temperature and toxic environment of “coke cutting” can easily kill or injure workers on the job. For more details about what’s involved with “coke cutting” operations in a refinery and the hazards involved for workers and nearby residents, see www.osha.gov/dt/shib/shib082903c.html